The website Quartz has come up with some interesting numbers in using dog expenditures as economic indicators.

Today, four countries—Chile, Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico—rank in the world’s top 10 for household penetration. The average home in those countries is more likely to have a pooch than not have one. Brazil tops the list in absolute terms, with nearly 36 million pups—more dogs than Canada has people.

Being a dog owner and an American you would think I find solace in the fact that the US doesn't rank too high on the list. Well you have to remember this is only small dogs.

Dog ownership, like cocaine use, can be seen as an economic indicator. Higher incomes mean people can actually afford to have pets—not to mention feed them pricey kibbles, send them to groomers and kennels, buy them toys, and flaunt them in dog shows. For that reason, the US remains a paragon of dog-doting, with the world’s biggest pet pooch population, in both absolute and per capita terms.

A paragon of dog-doting. Huh. Where does your country stack up? Check out their post on weekly food spending as well.